£1.38m London watch robbery 'was staged and everyone consented'

Evening Standard

An alleged robbery in which watches worth £1.38 million were stolen was "staged" and everyone involved consented, including a jewellery store manager who later killed himself, a court has been told.Junior Kunu, 30, and Mannix Pedro, 37, are charged with conspiring with others to commit the robbery after more than 70 luxury watches were stolen from the 247 Kettles shop in Richmond, south-west London, on May 25 last year.Office manager Oliver White, 27, died by suicide the next day "as a direct result" of the robbery, jurors were previously told.Giving evidence at Woolwich Crown Court on Wednesday, Kunu repeatedly insisted: "This was not a robbery, this was staged," and said he was told he would be paid £5,000 for putting watches into a bag."I knew that I was going to take part in a staged robbery where everyone was consenting," Kunu said."I knew that the person in the shop was going to comply. I knew that I was going to put watches in the bag and I had to do nothing else."Two other men said to have been involved - Michael Ashman and Kyle Bowrage - are still at large, having fled abroad soon after May 25.

Transcript

00:00Junior Kuno, 30, and Manix Pedro, 37, have been charged with conspiracy with others to commit robbery

00:07after more than 70 luxury watches were stolen from 247 Kettles, a jewellery store in Richmond,

00:13southwest London, on May 25 last year. Office manager Oliver White, 27, died by suicide the

00:20next day as a direct result of the robbery. Given evidence at Woolwich Crown Court on Wednesday,

00:26Kuno repeatedly insisted this was not a robbery, this was staged, and said he was told he would be

00:32paid £5,000 for putting watches in a bag. Jurors previously heard that White was put in a headlock

00:39and tied up while the watches were stolen. Kuno said the actions, including using cable ties on

00:45White, was part of the role play to make the whole thing look real. Woolwich Crown Court previously

00:51heard that White tried to transfer £14,000 of his own savings to his bosses after the robbery.

00:57Two other men said to have been involved, Michael Ashman and Kyle Borage, are still at large,

01:02having fled abroad soon after May 25. Pedro of Cobham, Surrey, and Kuno of Mitcham, southwest

01:09London, deny the charges. The court has heard that none of the watches have been recovered.

01:15The trial continues.

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